A former Lima Senior health and physical education is sentenced for attempted sexual battery.
60 year old Gary Jones was charged over spring break from the school for approaching a 16 year old girl on her front porch and making sexual advances. He pled guilty in May to the April crime.
Jones was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs after being sentenced to sixty days in jail and five years of probation. He will be required to register as a tier three sex offender for the rest of his life.
During sentencing, assistant Allen County prosecutor Tony Miller read excerpts from letters of support written for Jones. Miller said he was disgusted by the language in some of the letters-- which appear to blame the victim.
"No one has said how she was dressed. I would like to see Gary given probation, not months in prison, nor being made a sex offender for the rest of his life. Why do murderers get off with less? End quote. That is probably the most outrageous example of blaming the victim I've seen in my Six years of prosecuting," said Miller.
Miller says other letters of support were written by former school administrators, a teacher from another district, and a pastor.
Aryn Banks also spoke for the prosecution. She taught an eight week course in Jones's health class on sexual violence. Banks says over the last few months, the 16 year old victim was forced to listen to peers speculate about the case at school.
"She cried a lot. She was stressed out. Her hands would shake when she would talk about this because she was afraid if her name ever got out that all of the students' rage would then be focused onto her," said Banks.
Jones also spoke on his behalf. He says he takes full responsibility for his actions.
"What I did was a horrendous act. I am thankful to the victim that she acted more the adult in the situation than I did," said Jones.
Jones faced 18 months in prison for the felony charge.
